Get inspired to droneLately I have been getting back into being a student of drone photography because it is just so fun to create things and see the world from a different angle. I find myself getting a little bit stressed out when people will be around because of the occasional negative reaction, but I try to not let things like that hold me back. I have been reading a few books that have really inspired me to get back to flying and creating, regardless of its quality. I know they have nothing to do with drones but I figured if I helped inspire one reader to go create awesome aerial photos or videos then its worth the effort to spread the word. These two books are bad ass and I would recommend to anyone looking to improve many different aspects of their life. They are rabbit holes of inspiration. They do a good job of 1) explaining the process of getting better at something and 2) offering inspiration to push through the dry spells. I could write nice long summaries of why I love them but I will just post links here and if they sound interesting, check them out. Year long video challengeI shot several clips from different angles when I was working on getting a sunrise picture with my drone. As I was editing these into the following 20 second clip for practice I decided I want to make more 5 second clips from around Maui and make them into a longer video this year. Chasing surfers around is my favorite thing to do so this will give me some great practice getting shots I do not normally go after. Any tips and tricks I stumble onto along the way I will be sure to share. If you are interested in doing this exercise with me let me know and we can do a cool post in a few months with the videos we all make. Why don't you join me on this year long mission? Lets all fly once every 2 weeks and get at least one 5 second clip to use to make a scenic video at the end of the year. Here is what I have gotten so far. Check out this sunrise picture from Jeff RobertsGet out there and take a sunrise photo with your drone and send it to me and I will feature in an upcoming post! It doesn't matter if it is not epic, just go try. Do it and you will learn something, push your boundaries and lets learn together!!! Here are Jeff's words about this beautiful photo: This isn't bracketed but just a single shot from my Phantom 4. I have a P4 Pro now and how I wish I had used that or the X5 on my Inspire. But as they say the best camera for the job is the one you have with you. So it was a Phantom 4 that day when a sunset broke out in front of me.
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I tend to get emails from people spreading the word about new products and I wanted to share these two with you. I have not put my hands on anything below, just wanted to pass along cool new tech and products. The SubMurresThis thing packs some crazy features and reminds me a little bit of the car that Homer Simpson got to design. Until I see a working prototype, this gets the ya-right treatment. I know stuff like this will eventually be created, but I always get a kick out of 3d mock ups because they can just ignore physics. So lets have a laugh at their expense but also wish them luck as they push the boundaries of drone technology. Read more about this at SubMurres.com. Here is my favorite part of the press release: The dual submarine aircraft moves ubiquitously from water to air. As a submarine, SubMurres glide silently underwater performing its mission as it surfaces. Once on the water surface its flight system is engaged and its four rotors emerge from their compartments as vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) is initiated. Once airborne, there is no expulsion of parts. SubMurres simply flies unfettered, with all components intact. Its landing apparatus allow it to settle on terrain, and its second camera system allows it to fully capture surroundings. From land, it can be directly re-dispatched to water. No need to redeploy or to be picked up by another carrier aircraft, unlike any of the chief aeronautic industry or Navy-funded university’s latest submersive drone models! Yuneec H920 Plus - For engineering/architecture, broadcast, law enforcement, and inspections spacesI have been carefully watching Yuneec's product offerings and it seems like they are emerging as one of the main competitors to DJI. I really want to get my hands on some of their stuff to test it out and compare it to my DJI gear. While this H920 hexacopter drone is being pitched as a commercial drone, I was instantly attracted to the CG04 camera because you can change out the lenses. This is a micro four thirds camera so it might be comparable to the X5 from DJI. I am still using the X3 (that is basically a GoPro) but I really want to step up my game and get one of these cameras with bigger sensors. Better low light performance, more detail, more options for creating amazing aerial photography. The price range will be $2499 - $3999. That fully integrated remote control looks amazing too and it would make my flight kit more simple because it would eliminate the need for a smart phone. This thing looks awesome too, nice work Yuneec. This new drone was originally the H920, but now has updated features such as: When flying a symetrical drone, it is really easy to lose your orientation relative to the drone. There are ways to fix this like turning on an intelligent flight mode or hitting return to home to get your drone back safely and you should practice using the return to home feature at least once in a controlled way so you know how it works. But lets say you want to keep your drone "on target" and filming, then the only thing to do is to regain your orientation. Practicing this with your photo rig is certainly one way to do it, but you might also consider using a $20 CX-10D and the following practice exercise. It can be done inside or outside.
Tips: Small movements work best. If you fly it forward and you could not learn anything about its orientation, try and fly it the opposite direction just so you aren't losing any ground.
I used to have an affiliate link to banggood to buy this but I have had an issue twice already and I just can't recommend them anymore. You should be able to get them off Amazon and Ebay with no problem, just make sure you get the CX-10D. |
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